Interactive video systems, such as described in the above cross referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,902, in which a first monitor displays a virtual space which indicates the content of a library of video frames, and a second monitor displays video frames, in response to the position of a cursor on the virtual space, provide a powerful system for accessing video frames based on the content of the video frames. The content is indicated by the virtual space. To access video based on content, a user moves a cursor to a position on the virtual space. In response to the position of the cursor on the virtual space, a video frame is accessed which has a content indicated by the position of the cursor.
A problem has arisen in compiling video frames for the purposes of addressing them by content for use in such systems. In particular, the video frames are generated in such systems based on a plan organized by a human producer. The film is then shot, such as by flying a helicopter on a geographic grid while filming a center point of reference. For instance, in the one system, a helicopter flew over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, while focusing the camera on the center of the bridge.
Once the film has been generated, it must be manually compiled into sequences of video frames which correspond to the grid flown over the city. The grid is then drawn in a bit map graphic form for display as the virtual space. A correlation of the virtual space to the video frames is done manually in a time-consuming, tedious process.
It is desirable to provide a method for compiling or generating content addressable video automatically.